Las Flores circa 1888.

Rancho Santa Margarita is a fairly big Orange County city with all kinds of communities within it—Dove Canyon, Ladera Ranch and Las Flores, to name a few. But when you hear people talk about Las Flores, you might say, "Las what?"

So what and where is Las Flores? Well, Las Flores, which translates to “paper flowers,” is located at the interaction of Oso and Antonio Parkways and is considered an unincorporated census—designated place or (CDP) and adjacent to the City of RSM.

It’s small yet there were more than 5,600 residents according to the 2000 US Census. While it may have a pretty name, Las Flores doesn't have its own zip code and is served by Rancho Santa Margarita's zip code of 92688. It is named in reference to Rancho Santa Margarita y Flores and was founded when Rancho Santa Margarita was unincorporated in the 1990s.

Surprisingly, it was never officially annexed when RSM incorporated in 2000.

One thing Las Flores does have that attracts people from all over is The Rancho Santa Margarita dog/skate park that is also served by the Orange County Sheriff's Dept. and Orange County Fire Authority. Las Flores is also the home to Las Flores Elementary and Middle Schools (adjoined campuses), as well as Tesoro High School. All three schools are honored as California Distinguished Schools.

In 2000, there were more than 1,900 homes households out of which 51.8 percent had children under the age of 18 living with them. The median income for a household in the CDP was $89,978, and the median income for a family was $100,448.